Archive for ‘News’

Gloria Brown, soon to be Giannelli, grew up in Chicago and attended Eastern Illinois University where she studied Dietetics and Nutrition. While in college, she met her future husband and in short order, found herself moving to Texas. The Lone Star State held all the things she loves: the warm climate, amazing people and plenty of family to make sure she doesn’t get homesick! It didn’t take long before she became a part of our Phoenicia family.

With her wedding date coming up quickly, Gloria glows as she talks about her upcoming nuptials; she tried on over 300 dresses before she chose an exquisite Enzoni dress that makes her look like a princess! Aside from the fact that she will be getting married in the church that she attended all her life, Gloria shared a story about her engagement ring that encompasses the beauty of her and Nate’s story. After dating for a couple of months, they went to St. Louis, and on a whim, went into a jewelry store to window shop. Nate casually asked her if any of the rings were a favorite and when she chose one, he went back the next weekend, bought it and kept it hidden for 2 ½ years! During their drive to Texas, he hid it in the spare tire carrier of the car, petrified that if they had a flat tire, he would have to propose. When Gloria (and her mother) asked what took so long to give her the ring, he said he was waiting for the perfect moment.

Gloria recounts how she has had to juggle her wedding planning with a very busy MKT BAR. You can feel her passion for MKT BAR radiating as she discusses the upcoming bands, special tastings and unique events. She loves the challenges and excitement at MKT BAR and especially loves meeting new and interesting people. With an enthusiastic smile Gloria said, “No two days are ever the same!” With that same excitement, she thinks our executive chef, Matt Johnson, is an exceptional chef. Her favorite dish is the Squashed Pizza, which she pairs with a glass of Pasion Bobal.

Gloria’s love of travel will challenge Nate’s honeymoon destination planning. They have traveled as far as the Dominican Republic and her favorite spot is Hawaii. No matter the destination, when they return, they will begin building a new house and filling it with kiddos. Gloria flashes a beatific grin and with a twinkle says she’d like five kids! Whew!

Come to MKT BAR, share Gloria’s enthusiasm and be counted as one of the amazing people she meets daily!

Patrick “Count de Kabob” Rayer was born in Paris and raised in Normandy. He graduated from business school in France and then moved to Dallas to complete his MBA. Patrick loved Texas and traveled to Houston fairly often because he loved Houston’s international flair. While in the city, he learned a lot about different cultures and entranced by Houston’s spell, he decided, with the loving encouragement of his father, to move to Houston. After graduation he landed a job as the buyer for a German company that specialized in building materials. The career move began Patrick’s traveling adventures; he traveled to Brazil, Italy and all around Europe. Once the company split, Patrick found himself looking for new opportunities – one came in the form of a lovely Armenian woman from Iraq who had very close ties to the Armenian community and was close to Bob and Arpi Tcholakian. He married his sweetheart in 1982 and as he says fondly, “Sometimes in life, things turn out good.”

A new grocery chain had moved into Houston from France and it seemed a perfect spot for him until the chain closed its Texan doors. In short order, Patrick moved to France where he found a position with Leroy Merlin, one of the largest European distributors of home improvement products. There was a lot of travel associated with the job and Patrick made over 30 trips to Asia alone! He returned to the states in 1998 to manage Leroy Merlin’s American offices, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

In early 2000, Patrick’s wise words, “life is about timing,” rang true. Life-changing experiences defined his path. His much-loved father passed away, his wife was involved in a major car accident and his Leroy Merlin contract would soon end in Chicago. In a decision to slow down and travel less, Patrick and his wife moved to Houston. In the city, Patrick worked on several ventures, but found nothing fulfilling to him. Around this time, his son, looking for a job, applied at Phoenicia Specialty Foods and Patrick discovered his fascination with the store and its concept. After a conversation with Bob and Arpi, Patrick found himself with a job! With his incredible buying experience, his accounting acumen and his jovial, kind nature, he has become an integral part of Phoenicia’s management team.

When asked about a few of his favorite things, Patrick mentions a love of French food, model airplanes and shish kabob.

Be among the first to experience “Bread & Butter, Milk & Honey,” a group exhibition featuring the works of Houston-based artists Jonathan Jardin, Paris F. Jomadiao and Martin Yaptangco.

ABOUT THE ART:
Each artist, through a variety of mediums, provides a visual commentary on the societal concerns surrounding food by exploring its transcendence into a realm beyond necessity. “Bread & Butter, Milk & Honey” deals with themes such as, but not limited to, consumption, luxury and the thin line between “need” and “want.”

OPENING RECEPTION: Wednesday, July 24, 2013, 6-9PMEXHIBITION: July 25 – September 22, 2013COST: Free admission. Drinks and all artwork will be available for purchase.

Exhibition organized by Olivia Junell and Jordan Dupuis. For more information on the artists, please visit their respective websites.

FPSF is SOLD OUT, but here’s your chance to score the LAST TWO FANCY PANTS PASSES in town. Come to MKT BAR on Friday, May 31st, from 7-10PM and order any artisan pizza on the menu. One lucky winner drawn at random will find the winning Fancy Pants passes underneath his or her pizza when it arrives from the kitchen.

Official FPSF Fancy Pants Pizza Night RulesNo purchase necessary to enter or win. Must be 21 years of age or older to enter.

How to Enter: Go to MKT BAR on Friday, May 31, 2013 from 7-10PM and order any pizza on the menu. Your tab will serve as your entry into a random drawing. Pizza orders/alternate entries must be received by May 31, 2013, at 10:00PM CDT. Limit one entry per person. Entering this promotion constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules, including, but not limited to, entrant’s consent to receive periodic email newsletters from MKT BAR and Phoenicia Specialty Foods. Alternate method of entry: Come to MKT BAR on Friday, May 31st, from 7-10PM and simply tell your MKT BAR waiter/waitress you’d like to enter the Fancy Pants drawing without purchasing a pizza. Write your full name and contact information on the slip of paper you’re provided to be entered into the prize drawing.

Winner/Prize: At a randomly determined time between 7-10PM CDT on Friday, May 31, 2013, Promotion Administrator will conduct a random drawing from among all eligible entries received at that time. One prize of two Fancy Pants passes for the 2013 Free Press Summer Festival will be awarded to one winner. Winner will be awarded the passes underneath a pizza, delivered to the winner at MKT BAR, from a MKT BAR employee. Prize has a retail value of $579. No substitution, cash redemption or transfer of prizes is permitted except at MKT BAR’s sole discretion. If the prize cannot be awarded for any reason, MKT BAR reserves the right to substitute a prize. All federal, state and local taxes, and all other costs associated with acceptance or use of the prizes, are the sole responsibility of the winner. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received at the time of the drawing. Unclaimed prizes may not be awarded. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for MKT BAR and its agencies to use winner’s name and likeness for purposes of advertising and publicity without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. Promotion is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Be among the first to experience “William Hundley,” an exhibit that showcases the wide scope of mediums and wild inventiveness that Hundley taps into when creating his works.

About the Art:William Hundley is an Austin-based multimedia artist. Although he is most widely known for his photography, Hundley’s work also includes sculptures and installation and has been exhibited across the U.S. and in Berlin. Recent works have focused on assembled collages and a series of tribal-inspired masks with the idea of gathering objects from contemporary culture and using them in a “tribal” way. Of his artistic practice Hundley says, “My work started with the influence of Erwin Wurm and Maurizio Cattelan, these absurdists. I love the practical-joke nature of it; if I can make humor and beautiful aesthetics come together, that’s the biggest powerhouse I can imagine.”

On View: June 12 – July 16, 2013Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 6-9PMCost: Free admission. Light bites will be served at the artist opening reception, with drinks and all artwork available for purchase.

Entries must be received by Monday, May 13, 2013 at 11:59PM (CST). Only one entry per person, please.

Must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Recipes must be original and may not be copied from any source. Any photo you submit must belong to you and you warrant that it does not and shall not infringe on any copyright or any other third party right nor violate any applicable law or regulation. By submitting a recipe entry, you give Phoenicia Specialty Foods non-exclusive rights to use your recipe and photo for any promotional purposes, without compensation. Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. Employees of Phoenicia Specialty Foods, MKT BAR and Arpi’s Deli and their immediate family members living in the same household are not eligible.

Be among the first to experience “Sound Proof,” a collection of photographs and collages by Peter Lucas on Thursday, May 9th and meet the artist himself. After a brief introduction, Lucas will play a DJ set from 7-9PM.

About the Art
Artist Peter Lucas has drawn from his eclectic collection of old records and tapes to create a series of work exploring the nature and aesthetics of music media objects. Lucas’ photographs and collages incorporate and reframe elements of vinyl records, covers, sleeves, and 8-track and cassette tape cartridges. Emphasizing design as well as edges, textures, and degradation, Sound Proof is an homage to the rapidly vanishing culture of physical music media, a conceptual shifting of these vessels into art objects, and a personal rumination on the artist’s lifelong relationship with music.

On View: May 10 – June 9, 2013Opening Reception: Thursday, May 9, 2013, 6-9PMCost: Free admission. All artwork will be available for purchase.

Mother’s Day Weekend
May 11-12, 2013
9AM-2PM
MKT BAR presents full-service dining and a special YUMMY! brunch menu guaranteed to make Mama happy. Highlights of our Mom’s Day special menu include Fresh Fruit Waffles, Piperade with Eggs, an Egg Scramble with chorizo and more. Popular choices including Haig’s Chili and several gourmet pizzas from the regular MKT BAR menu will also be available. Of course a good brunch isn’t complete without drinks, so have Mom order a party-pretty pomegranate mimosa or a summer-loving white sangria to accompany her meal. On Sunday May 12th, the Pelayo Parlade Duo performs from noon to 3PM.

View Houston through the eyes of Rosine Kouamen, hometown photographer and mixed-media artist who endeavors to capture the transformation of culture through her lens and artistic creations. Explore Houston’s bustling ethnic epicenter as the native Cameroonian displays work that depicts how identity transcends time and location.

Exhibit: Through May 31, 2013

Opening Reception: Wednesday, April 24, 2013, 7-10PM

Free admission. Kouamen will attend the opening reception and light bites will be served. Drinks and all artwork will be available for purchase.

For more information on Rosine Kouamen, visit http://www.rosinekouamen.com